~ Genealogy, History, and whatever else crosses my mind

Tombstone Tuesday: Cenotaphs

[Even though it is Wednesday where I am, I’m still calling it “Tombstone Tuesday.” Hey, it’s still Tuesday somewhere in the world!]

Question: When is a tombstone not a tombstone?

Answer: When it’s a cenotaph.

A cenotaph (literally “empty tomb”) is a memorial for someone who is not buried at that place, either because they are buried someplace else or the body could not be recovered. Sometimes the marker will give you a clue that it is a cenotaph rather than a tombstone.

George Kruskie, Holy Cross Cemetery, Cross Village Township, Emmet County, Michigan. Photo taken by Amy Crow, all rights reserved.

The phrase “Lost on Ice” on this marker in Holy Cross Cemetery in Emmet County, Michigan is a clue that George Kruskie is not actually buried here, but rather was lost. The area is on the shores of Lake Michigan and near the Straits of Mackinac. A search for newspaper articles might confirm my hypothesis that he fell through the ice and his body was never recovered.

The marker shown above is the first one I have seen that actually notes that it is a cenotaph. It isn’t clear whether it is a cenotaph just for Dorothy Beetham or for all three people listed on the stone. A check with the office at Union Cemetery in Columbus, obituaries, and death certificates would clear up the situation.

6 thoughts on “Tombstone Tuesday: Cenotaphs”

Very interesting. I know of one cemetery where one person has two different headstones, so the newer one must be a cenotaph. The original stone marks the single grave that was purchased at the time of his death and the second one is in the large family plot that was purchased years later.

Apple — There’s the possibility that he was moved from the single grave to the family plot. If there are records for the cemetery (either a cemetery office or a church if it is affiliated with one), you might want to check to see which grave he actually occupies. (Let’s hope it isn’t both of them!)

AMY, I followed the link from Janet (Graveyard Rabbit of Grey County ON, CAN) to read about cenotaphs. Thanks for a new term. I find such markers in most Southern cemeteries — some are clearly stated as a memorial to someone buried elsewhere but some don’t indicate it so obviously.

But I appreciate having this new term to apply to “empty tombs.” Thanks.

Congressional Cemetery in Washington, DC is the home of 185 identical cenotaphs designed by Benjamin Latrobe one of the designers of the US Capitol. They are for members of the US Congress who died in Washington.
The first cenotaph was for Uriah Tracey of CT who died in 1807.

Visit our website for more information and if you are ever in Washington, DC come visit our cemetery.